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Michael Bay’s epic war movie, Pearl Harbor, is filled to the brim with major action and true spectacle. But, amid the explosions and aerial-based action, there are also moments of romance. Those mainly come courtesy of the characters Danny Walker and Evelyn Johnson, who are played by Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale, respectively. One of the most notable scenes in the entire film sees the two characters making love. Now, years later, Hartnett is opening up about why that sequence, which he calls one of his “most embarrassing moments” on a set, was so rough to film.
Josh Hartnett – who’s long been pegged as a true heartthrob – has been promoting his latest film, Trap. The fan-favorite star recently sat down with Elle to discuss different aspects of his career. The Ask Me Anything interview (which was shared on YouTube) kicked off with Hartnett addressing one of his most embarrassing moments. After naming the Pearl Harbor sex scene, the star explained that that portion of filming was made awkward due to the presence of some specific visitors:
One of my most embarrassing [moments] is the parachute scene from Pearl Harbor with Kate Beckinsale where we are making love in the parachutes for some reason. She decided to bring her young one-year-old daughter and her boyfriend to set for the first time that day. I felt terrible the whole day. That was super embarrassing.
Filming a love scene with someone on a set populated by crew members and fellow actors sounds awkward on its own. However, the notion of doing that while your scene partner’s real-life partner and child were present just sounds nerve-wracking. Of course, the Oppenheimer cast member is a professional, so he managed to get the job done. Still, I’m cringing just thinking about him pretending to make love to the Underworld icon in front of her kid and her lover.
To Josh Hartnett’s credit, the scene in question (which is on YT) does convey the level of sensuality that was likely desired by the filmmakers. Danny and Evelyn’s romantic encounter occurs after the combat pilot takes his lady flying so that they can watch the sunset on Pearl Harbor. After they return to the air hanger, they passionately embrace while surrounded by parachutes stored in the facility. One could argue that the sex scene still stands as one of the most memorable moments in the entire film.
Of course, as many will probably tell you, Pearl Harbor is far from perfect, and much of the criticism surrounding it has been aimed at the weakness of the screenplay, overuse of special effects and more. Kate Beckinsale’s problems with Michael Bay also came to light years later. The actress explained that the director was hard to work with, in great part, due to his alleged perception of her physical appearance. While promoting the 2001 film, Bay supposedly said that he cast Beckinsale in the role because she “wasn’t so attractive that she would alienate the female audience.”
Most would likely agree that Kate Beckinsale is – and continues to be – one of Hollywood’s most beautiful stars, and she’s arguably a major reason why that love scene is still memorable. I’m just sorry that it was so embarrassing for Josh Hartnett. Nevertheless, it marks just one of many notable cinematic moments within the actor’s filmography, and it’s funny that he can somewhat poke fun at it years later.
Pearl Harbor is currently available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime. Also, be sure to check out Josh Hartnett in Trap, which is now playing in theaters and is one of the key titles on the 2024 movie schedule.